WASHINGTON, May 19 (UPI) -- Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani warned the 9/11 commission Wednesday its criticism of rescue workers risked degenerating into blaming rescue workers.
"The blame should clearly be directed at one source and one source alone: the terrorists that killed our loved ones," Giuliani told the panel.
His comments appeared directed at commissioner John Lehman, a former U.S. Navy secretary, who Tuesday ripped city officials in a blistering rant over communications problems, CNN reported.
"It's not worthy of the Boy Scouts," Lehman said, to spectator applause.
Giuliani, however, described heroic rescue efforts immediately after the attacks and the recovery effort, which he said took place in "the most dangerous recovery site probably in the history of this country."
In contrast to Lehman, Giuliani praised the rescuers' "superb command structure."
"I would urge you in evaluating their performance, to put it in the context of (the fact that) no one ever has encountered an attack like this. No one has had to have dealt with a recovery and search effort anywhere near this dimension," Giuliani said.
